Testing device for flash-light batteries and lamps



.Ffine19,1923. 1,459,335

w. LINK TESTING DEVICE FOR FLASH LIGHT BATTERIES AND LAMPS Filed Oct.21. 1921 INVENTOR. Walfer link Anomvsv' frame:

Patented June 19, 1923.

a ATENT orr es.

WALTER LINK, or Airo, ARIZONA) I TESTING DEVICE FOR FLASH-LIGHTBATTERIES AND LAMPS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Becit known that I, WALTER LINK, a citizen of the United States,residing atA jo, in the county of Pima and State of Arizona,'in-

provide a device forthe stated purpose which,

will be of extreme simplicity inconstruction and convenient andeffective in operation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention andreferring thereto: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sec tion ofthedevice. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is 'a verticalsection on line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the rearportion of the device. Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section showing amodified formof. the invention.

The device comprises a base member or battery support 1 formedpreferably as a rectangular channel or trough, having vertical sidewalls2, which. are adapted to em brace and engage a flashlight batteryor cell,

of ordinary size, or the carton containing such battery. or. cell. Atitsfront end, the member 1 is provided with a vertical wall 3, andwithmeans for mounting or supporting an electric light bulb. Forconvenience in testing batteries and lamps of different size or power,Iprefer to provide onthe device a movable-mounting for-a number of lampbulbs, saidmounting comprising. a disk 41 pivoted at 5 on a plate 17hinged at-37 on brackets 22 and provided with a. plurality of screwsockets 6, into whichmay-be screwed lamp bulbs indicated at 7,the-inner-ends of said sockets open and beingadapted to register .withan opening 8 in the wall 3, so that the center contact 9 of each lampbulb may be exposed at such'opening'for testing purposes. Base member orbattery support 1 Application filed October 21, 1921. Serial No.509,350.

and lampholder 4: are of metal, so thatthe '29on base 1 may engage anyone of a series of notches 4:8 in disk or lampholder 4 to hold:

the same in position in which a lamp 7 therein is opposite opening 8,said spring catch also serving to hold disk 4 fiat against wall 3. Onreleasing catch 29 and tilting disk 4, the center terminal 10 of thelowest lamp is swung clear of the wall 3 and the disk may then be turnedto bring another lamp 4 into position and then swung back intoengagement with catch 29.

The battery support 1 is also provided with 'means for longitudinalengagement with the battery or cell, to hold said cell in positiontherein. For this purpose a. clamping member or slide member 11 may bemounted to move longitudinally on the support 1, being guided byengagement of a pin'12fon said member 11 in a longitudinal slot 13, insaid support, said member llbeing further provided with an uprightmember or standard 141 through which extends a circuit closing push pin15. An insulating sleeve- 16 is mounted slidably on the pin 15, and ispressed'forward by a spring 17, such forward movement being. limited bya head 18 on the push pin 15, engaging with a shoulder19 on said sleeve.tendsaround the push pin 15 and between the standard 14 and-a pushbutton or head 21 onthe push pin 15, soas to tend to hold said push pinand the attached parts away from the frontend, of the device. Suitablemeans are also provided for adjustably hold- A spring 20 exing the slidemember 11 inposition'on the I V battery support 1. For. this purposesaid slide member may be provided with catches 23 pivoted at 12 on theslide member Hand having depending lugs 25 adapted to engage ratchetteeth 26 on the edges of the slot 13 v The device may be provided withcleats and the front wall 3 of the device.

30 on its under face to support it, said cleats being for example ofleather or other material adapted to prevent marring of the sur face onwhich the device rests; or if desired, the device may be fastened infixed position. The device is used as follows: To test battery or drycell, the clamping member or slide 11 is moved back sufiiciently topermit insertion of the cell with or with out the enclosing carton, andsuch cell, indicated at 31 is then slipped into position within thetrough or channel of battery support 1, and the clamp or slide member 11then moved forward to bring the sleeve 16 thereon against the rear endof the cell so as to retain the latter in position, the cell beingthereby clamped between the sleeve 16 In the forward movement of theslide 11 it is only necessary to push the said slide forward, the catchlugs slipping over the ratchet teeth 26 in this operation and the spring17 ensuring tight engagement of the sleeve 16 with the battery or cell,said spring press ing forward against the sleeve 16 and back' wardagainst the'upright 14, which is held rigidly in position by reason ofengagement of thelugs 25 on the catches 23 with the ratchet teeth 26. Atthis time, the head 18 will be of the power or capacity correspond.

ing to the battery to be tested. The provision of the rotary lampholder4 enables any I I one of the several different lamps carried thereby tobe brought to testing position and in practice it is desirable toprovide on such support a set of lamps of different power I and toprovide onthe rotatable lampholder 4 suitable marks indicating the poweror capacity of the respective lamps. For convenience thesedesignatingmarks are preferably provided on the rear face of therotatable lampholder 4, as indicated at36, and. hinged plate 47 on thebase orchannel member 1 may be provided with a pointer por tion or indexindicated at 38, whichpoints to the mark on the member 4 correspondingto the lamp which is at that time in registe-ring position at opening 8.One of the sockets 6 on the rotatable carrier 4may be left blank orunoccupied so as to receive a lamp to betested. Assuming that thebattery or cell is in position for testing as above described, thetesting operation is performed by pushing forward the push button 21, SO

as to bring the head 18 onpush pin 15 in contact with the rear terminal32 of the battery or cell, the circuit then being completed from saidrear. terminal throughsaid head 18, push pin 15, and standard 14 to thebase 1 thence to front plate 3, lampholder 4, socket 6, and screwterminal of the particular lamp which is in position within said socket,thence through the filament of the lamp to the center terminal 9 thereofand the frontterminal 33- of the battery. Proper illumination of thelamp then indicates that the battery is in working condition. It will beseen that in this operation there are no extraneous contacts orconnections introduced other than those which correspond to tery bymeans of flexible cords and termi;

nals to suitable instruments, and in such an operation, failure of theapparatus to indicate current may be due to defects in the connectionsor instruments, but with the dc vice above described there is nosuchsource. of error, the conditions of the test being identical withthose which exist in the-flash light itself.

If a lamp is to be tested, a batteryfof proper strength will be insertedin the supporting or base member 1 and the lamp screwed into-one of thesockets in the cm rier 4 and brought into contact with the frontterminal of the battery, the test opera tion being then effected bypushing forward the button 21 as above. described. w

In thesimplified form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, only a singlesocket "39 is provided,said socket being infixed position on the uprightfront'wall 40 of'base member 1, which is provided with an insulatingbacking 41 secured to the wall 40 by screws or rivets 42. vention, thelampto be used in testing or to be tested is inserted inthe socket39 andthe front battery or cell brought into posi- Using this form of theintion in the base 1 with its front terminal contacting'with the centralterminal of said lamp, in the same manner as :above described. I Mydevice may also be: used for testing flashlight batteries or cellsof-the flat type,

for example, by placing such abattery or cell within the channel memberor battery support lin the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig, 3.

Such batteries are provided with two resilient contactsor termi- 'nalsat one end and when placed on the shown in Fig. 5 with one ofthefastening pins or screws 12 so as to complete the circuit.

As shown in Figure 5, the insulating block 16 may be secured directly onthe base member and adapted to engage a battery or cell to hold the samebetween said clamping member and said upwardly extending portion of thebase member in such position that a terminal of the battery or cell willcontact with a'terminal of the said electric lamp, and manuallycontrolled means on said clamping member for closingelectric connectionfrom the other terminal of the battery to said base member.

2. In a flashlight battery tester a base member for supporting abattery, a lamp support movably mounted on said base member and providedwith means for holding a plurality of lamps, and adapted to bring anyone of said lamps into connection with a' terminal of a batterysupported on said base member.

3. A testing device for flashlight batteries and lamps comprisinga'battery support, a lampholder rotatably mounted on said batterysupport and provided with screw sockets for holding a plurality oflamps, and for connecting the screw plugs of said lamps to said batterysupport, said battery support being provided with means for supporting abattery in. such position that a terminal thereof may contact with acenter terminal of an electric lampon said lampholder, when thelampholder is turned to bring said lamp opposite said battery terminal,a clamp member adjustably mounted on said battery support and adapted toengage the battery to hold :same in position on the said support, and acircuit closer mounted on said clamp member and movable into and out ofcontact with the other terminal of said battery.

4. A testing device as set forth in claim 3 and provided, in addition,with means on said rotary carrier for indicating which one of the lampsis in connection with the battery.

5. A testing device for flashlight batteries and lamps, comprising abattery support provided with means for engaging one end of a batteryand with conducting means connected to the-battery support and having ascrew socket for supporting a lamp in position to connect by its centralterminal with a terminal at that end of the battending to hold saidmanual controlling means in open circuit position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day ofOctober, 1921.

WALTER LINK.

